Attacks Intended to Seriously Harm and Co-occurring Drug Use Among Youth in the United States

Associations of cannabis use, use frequency, and cannabis use disorder with violent behavior among young adults in the United States

BACKGROUND

Most violent crimes (52 %) are committed by adults aged 18-34, who account for 23 % of the US population and have the highest prevalence of cannabis use and cannabis use disorder (CUD). We examined whether and how associations of cannabis use, use frequency, and CUD with violent behavior (i.e., attacking someone with the intent to harm seriously) vary by sex in U.S. young adults.

METHODS

Data were from 113,454 participants aged 18-34 in the 2015-2019 US National Surveys on Drug Use and Health, providing nationally representative data on cannabis use, CUD (using DSM-IV criteria), and violent behavior. Descriptive analyses and bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted.

RESULTS

Among U.S. adults aged 18-34, 28.9 % (95 % CI = 28.5-29.2 %) reported past-year cannabis use (with/without CUD), including 20.5 % (95 % CI = 20.2-20.8 %) with non-daily cannabis without CUD, 4.7 % (95 % CI = 4.5-4.8 %) with daily cannabis use without CUD, 2.1 % (95 % CI = 1.9-2.2 %) with non-daily cannabis use and CUD, and 1.7 % (95 % CI = 1.5-1.8 %) with daily cannabis use and CUD. Past-year adjusted prevalence of violent behavior was higher among males with daily cannabis use but without CUD (2.9 %, 95 % CI = 2.4-2.7 %; adjusted prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.7, 95 % CI = 1.3-2.2) and males with daily cannabis use and CUD (3.1 %, 95 % CI = 2.3-4.0 %; adjusted PR = 1.8, 95 % CI = 1.3-2.4) than males without past-year cannabis use (1.7 %, 95 % CI = 1.6-1.9 %). Adjusted prevalence of violent behavior was higher among females with cannabis use regardless of daily cannabis use/CUD status (adjusted prevalence = 1.6-2.4 %, 95 % CIs = 0.9-3.2 %; adjusted PRs = 1.6-2.4, 95 % CI = 1.3-3.2) than females without past-year cannabis use (1.0 %, 95 % CI = 0.9-1.1 %).

CONCLUSIONS

Research is needed to ascertain the directionality of the associations between cannabis use and violent behavior and underlying sex-specific mechanism(s). Our results point to complex sex-specific relationships between cannabis use frequency, CUD, and violent behavior and highlight the importance of early screening for and treatment of CUD and of preventive interventions addressing cannabis misuse.

Trends of Substance Use among Individuals with Cardiovascular Disease in the United States, 2015-2019

Despite the adverse effects of substance use on health among individuals with preexisting cardiovascular disease (CVD), little is known about trends and correlates for substance use among individuals with CVD. We examined trends of use in tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis among US adults with heart disease. Using nationally representative data from the 2015–2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (N = 7339), we conducted survey-adjusted logistic regression analyses to test the significance of trends in substance use while controlling for sociodemographic factors and related correlates. Results showed that the prevalence of cannabis use among adults with a heart condition significantly increased. Notably, the prevalence of cannabis use increased by 91% among non-Hispanic Whites, while the increasing trends were not present among other racial/ethnic groups. Our results also showed that increase in cannabis use was associated with easier access, lower disapproval, and risk perceptions of cannabis. Special attention is needed to raise awareness of the risk associated with cannabis use among individuals with CVD and the implementation of an early screening and treatment strategy among those with CVD.

Substance use disorders among adults who are deaf or hard of hearing in the United States

BACKGROUND

There has been limited research on substance use disorders (SUDs) among individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH). This study explored associations among activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, major depressive episode, risk perceptions for substance use, religiosity, and past-year SUDs within the DHH population.

METHODS

Data was drawn from the 2015-2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (N = 214,505) to compare rates of past-year SUDs between DHH (weighted % = 5.4) and non-DHH populations. SUD measures included were past-year alcohol, marijuana, pain reliever, and illicit drug use disorders.

RESULTS

SUDs are more prevalent among the DHH population than the non-DHH population. When adjusted for sociodemographic variables, DHH adults were more likely to report experiencing all four types of measured SUDs. Significant associations were also found between all four measured SUDs and disability status, major depressive episodes, and perception of risk. An association between regular religious service attendance and alcohol, marijuana, or illicit drug use disorders was also identified, as well as an association between peer religiosity and marijuana use disorders.

CONCLUSION

Given the high prevalence of SUDs and limited understanding of the mechanisms associated with the SUDs within the DHH population, more research is needed to address these issues.

Association Between the Use of Cannabis and Physical Violence in Youths: A Meta-Analytical Investigation

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this meta-analysis was to investigate the extent to which cannabis use among youths is associated with the risk of perpetrating physical violence.

METHODS

Searches were conducted in PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Google Scholar for articles published from the inception of each database to July 2019. All studies that examined both cannabis use and the perpetration of physical violence in a sample of youths and young adults <30 years old were included. The meta-analysis was performed with a random-effects model. Risk of publication bias was assessed with Egger's test. Guidelines from the Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology were followed.

RESULTS

After screening 11,348 potential studies, 30 study arms were included, yielding a total of 296,815 adolescents and young adults. The odds ratio for the pooled studies was 2.11 (95% CI=1.64, 2.72). The pooled odds ratios were 2.15 (95% CI=1.58, 2.94) and 2.02 (95% CI=1.26, 3.23) for the cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, respectively. Preliminary evidence suggests that the risk of violence was higher for persistent heavy users (odds ratio=2.81, 95% CI=1.68, 4.74) compared with past-year users (odds ratio=2.05, 95% CI=1.5, 2.8) and lifetime users (odds ratio=1.94, 95% CI=1.29, 2.93). The odds ratio for unadjusted studies was 2.62 (95% CI=1.89, 3.62), and for studies using odds ratios adjusted for potential confounding factors, 2.01 (95% CI=1.57, 2.56).

CONCLUSIONS

These results demonstrate a moderate association between cannabis use and physical violence, which remained significant regardless of study design and adjustment for confounding factors (i.e., socioeconomic factors, other substance use). Cannabis use in this population is a risk factor for violence.